Rep. Raul Grijalva, the co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said Friday he would grade President Barack Obama’s performance during his first three years in office a “B-minus or C,” and gives the president a “D” for how he’s handled the immigration issue.

“I would give our president a passing grade,” Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat and former school board member, said in an interview taped for C-SPAN’s “Newsmakers.” “A B-minus or C. I historically got those kinds of grades when I was in school, so I consider them passing grades. I would say it’s a passing grade.”

Grijalva faulted Obama for governing from the center but praised him for his aggressive push this fall for his $447 billion American Jobs Act that was filibustered by Senate Republicans.

“I am glad that the president is going with his instincts, which I think are correct. And I think the American people are responding to those instincts about jobs, about calling out Congress for doing nothing, and saying that there has to be fairness in this country and that Wall Street has to pay its fair share,” Grijalva said.

“Those are progressive themes and I’m glad he’s taking them. Do I wish he would have gone further earlier? Absolutely. All of us do.”

Obama’s decision to use his executive powers to allow some noncriminal undocumented immigrants to remain in the country is a “pragmatic step,” Grijalva said. But Obama should have done more earlier in his presidency to reform the immigration system for the 11 million illegal immigrants living in the United States.

On immigration, Obama deserves “a low grade – that’s a D,” Grijalva said. “I think there should have been more energy and push on comprehensive reform early on, particularly on the Senate side,” he said, “and we wouldn’t be dealing with a lot of these Alabama, Arizona, South Carolina issues that we’re dealing with now, state laws.”

In the wake of the deficit supercommittee’s failure, Grijalva also said the Progressive Caucus next week plans to roll out an economic package that will consist of job-creation measures, tax reform and other measures that will save $5.7 trillion over 10 years. Among the provisions are a tax on millionaires, a “Buy American First” proposal, the creation of an infrastructure bank and a bill that targets China currency manipulation. It would also end tax loopholes for oil and gas companies.

The legislative package would count savings from winding down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and cutting defense programs, but would not consider additional revenue from the expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts at the end of 2012. Grijalva said the plan would achieve other savings by allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, and would protect Social Security by lifting the payroll tax cap to generate more revenue.

“We feel very strongly that the federal government [when it comes to] the job creation agenda has to play an active role, not a passive role,” Grijalva said.